Statistical Analysis of
Fluctuating Variables on the
Stability of Predator Prey
Relationships
Lenny Li
Computer Systems Lab
2009-2010
Period 4
Abstract
Simple predation prey simulations greatly simplify the problem by
assuming multiple variables to be a constant value, and thus are not
very good predictors of a natural environment. In reality, a system
will have multiple possible variables such as the size of the habitat,
initial population sizes of both predator and prey, reproduction rates,
the probability of a predator succeeding in killing a prey, the energy
gained from either consuming a prey or consuming vegetation, and
much more. This two part project will first compare a simulation that
considers organism behavior and intelligence with one that is simple and random. It will then statistically analyze the effects, specifically the difference in stability of the simulation, of incrementing such
changes listed above in a two species system.
Introduction
Predator Prey
Simple vs. Behavior vs. Intelligence
Strong Prey
Multiple Regression to Extrapolate
Effectiveness of Wildlife Preservations
Background
Permanent vs Temporary Traits
The Allee Effect
Predator Food Choice
Lotka Volterra Model
Information
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Lotka_Volterra_
Dynamique.gif
Development Patches
-NxN grid world
-Organisms have decimal
coordinates
-Growing vegetation in
random grids
-Green Dots are food for Prey
Development - Predator
-Black Dot
-Target
-Heuristic to Move
.
-Reproduce
Probability
http://www.1adventure.com/archives/images/frank-red-fox-colorado-lowrescrop.jpg
Development - Prey
-Blue Dot
-Hunters
-Heuristic to Move
-Reproduce
Probability
http://svpow.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/wild-rabbit-41946.jpg
Tests – Experiment 1
Basic Behavior
Simple Model
Tests - Experiment 2 (todo)
- 30 trials
-Predator Population from 50 to 100
-Prey Population from 100 to 200
-Number of grids from 400 to 1600
-Predator Reproduction from 0.02 to 0.12
-Prey Reproduction from 0.05 to 0.15
-Kill Rate from 0.5 to 1.0
-Energy Per Kill from 5 to 15
-Energy Per Patch from 3 to 6
Works Cited
Andrew, Morozov, Petrovskii Sergei, and Li Bai-Lian. "Bifurcations and the Chaos in a Predator-Prey System with
the Allee Effect." The Royal Society 11 Feb. 2004: 1407-1414. The Royal Society. Web. 23 Oct. 2009.
Barney, Luttbeg, and Schmitz J. Oswald. "Predator and Prey Models with Flexible Individual Behavior and
Imperfect Information." The American Naturalist 155.5 (2000): 669-683. JSTOR. Web. 14 Jan. 2010.
Billard. "On Lotka-Volterra Predator Prey Models." Jstor: 375-381. Jstor. Web. 23 Oct. 2009.
Griffiths, David. "Prey Availability and the Food of Predators." Ecology Summer 1975: 1209-1214. JSTOR. Web. 23
Oct. 2009.
Oshanin, G., et al. "Survival of an Evasive Prey." Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences of the United
States of America 106.33 (2009): 1-7. arXiv. Web. 14 Jan. 2010.
Tu, Xiaoyuan, and Demetri Terzopoulos. "Artificial Fishes: Physics, Locomotion,Perception, Behavior." Association
for Computing Machinery. N.p., July1994. Web. 14 Jan. 2010.